Los Angeles Lakers

Dwyane Wade is honoring Kobe Bryant with his latest sneaker colorway ... paying homage to the late Lakers legend with a touching tribute.

Wade and the Black Mamba were great friends during their time in the NBA ... and were teammates when Team USA won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.

Wade showed off a sneak peek of his unreleased Way Of Wade kicks over the weekend ... which are decked out in Lakers colors and feature Kobe's numbers on the tongues.

The inner soles also share one of Kobe's most famous quotes -- "Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses."

Kobe died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas on January 26. He was 41 years old.

Wade -- who has a shoe deal with Li-Ning -- is known for making a statement with his kicks ... and even worked with his daughter, Zaya, to come up with a Pride design in her honor.

J.R. Smith says he was told to end an Instagram Live session Thursday from the Lakers' hotel inside the NBA bubble ... all because he was "exposing too much sh*t."

Smith -- who just signed with the Lakers last week -- had been critical of the team hotel during the IG sesh ... complaining about the food, the blankets and more.

At one point, Smith showed off a high-tech NBA-issued bracelet -- which reportedly will "help with early detection of coronavirus; track temperature, respiratory and heart rate."

Smith described it this way ... "Got my little band and sh*t so they can keep tabs on me. Tracking device. Stay woke."

He also showed a bunch of snack food in the rooms -- from candy bars to cookies -- and complained about that too.

"We're professional athletes and all that," Smith said ... pointing out how some players make "$30, $40, $50 million a year."

"But, then you be over there crying talking about somebody can't stay healthy and their body is breaking down and all this other sh*t?"

"You wanna motherf**king Ferrari to run like a Ferrari cause you paid for it as a Ferrari ... but you keep gassing it up with Chrysler sh*t."

He also griped about the size of the NBA-issued hotel blankets ... claiming they're wayyyyy too small for the tall guys in the league.

There's more ... Smith also went into the hallway and live-streamed some of his Lakers teammates as they were getting food.

Soon after that, Smith suggested he'd been contacted by either Lakers or NBA management and was told to shut down his IG Live.

"Aw man, they mad at me bro," Smith said ... "I'm gone. Just got the text. Exposing too much sh*t. Gotta go. My bad. My bad."

The NBA's reboot just got really real ... both LeBron James and Anthony Davis made their returns to Lakers practice Wednesday -- and they look GOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!

The team announced their superstars' comebacks in a sick highlight video Wednesday night ... showing shirtless Bron getting after it in the weight room and getting buckets on the hardwood.

Davis' jumper looked wet as well ... and the Lakers captioned it all with a subtle, "And we back."

The vid is FINALLY a breath of fresh air for the NBA ... lately, it's been nothing but pessimism toward the restart as COVID-19 cases rise and players continue to question if there should even be a season.

Of course, the Lakers haven't been immune to it all ... Dwight Howard is still pondering whether or not to play -- while the team had to sign J.R. Smith to replace Avery Bradley, who opted out of the restart last week.

But, LeBron's maintained throughout this offseason that the league SHOULD play ... and as Clippers star Pat Beverley tweeted last month, "If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping."

The Lake Show is the prohibitive favorite heading into Orlando's bubble -- King James' squad had the best record in the West before teams suspended operations back in March.

And, after seeing the new clips ... you really ready to bet against LeBron in the return?!

J.R. Smith seems excited about his reunion with LeBron James -- he's already rockin' a Lakers hat around town!

Check out the pic of Smith hitting up Pinches Tacos on Tuesday -- Lakers hat, Black & Mild in his mouth, red bandana around his neck.

Of course, 34-year-old Smith was reportedly finalizing a deal earlier this week to join the Lakers for the remainder of the season ... now that Avery Bradley has opted out.

So, this pic leads us to believe it's probably a done deal. Now, the biggest hurdle -- will the season actually happen?

Several NBA players and staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 recently -- with commish Adam Silver acknowledging they might have to shut down the reboot if there's a larger outbreak.

But, for now, Smith seems content with his team, his food and his smoke.

Smith hasn't played an NBA game since Nov. 2018 -- back when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers ... but he's been keeping himself in shape by beating up alleged vandals in the streets of L.A.

Bust out the Henny ... J.R. Smith is signing with the L.A. Lakers!!!

The 34-year-old vet is joining with his old pal, LeBron James, and Co. for a title run to finish the 2020 season ... finalizing a contract right before Tuesday's deadline.

Smith is stepping in for Avery Bradley, who opted out of the Orlando restart due to family concerns.

Of course, the last time J.R. and LeBron were in the Finals together back in 2018, this happened:

But, all joking aside -- Smith was a huge part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 championship team and averages 12.5 points for his career ... so it's an important pick-up for L.A.

And, if you're worried about how J.R. has been keeping himself in shape -- don't worry, he's got in plenty of cardio beating up alleged vandals on the streets of L.A.

Special moment from Lil Wayne on Sunday night -- he perfumed his 2009 track, "Kobe Bryant" ... with new lyrics to honor Mamba and Gianna.

It all went down at the BET Awards -- where Wayne debuted a new music video for the song, performing in front of the screen with Kobe's name on it.

The original lyrics already painted Kobe as a legend:

"He the greatest on the court ...
And I'm the greatest on the verse.
Goin' for the 4th ring like it was his 1st...
Gotta get the gleam. Do it for Kareem ...
2-4 so nice. My flow is so mean."

But, in the wake of recent events, Weezy updated the track to acknowledge the passing of Kobe and Gianna.

"Two fingers for the Mambacita. I’m screamin’ 'Black Mamba matters.'"

He continued ... "Heart goes out to Vanessa and the whole Black Mamba family."

"G-O-A-T like Kobe Bean, rest in power and hope for peace.”

Vanessa acknowledged it on her IG page -- calling the performance a "beautiful tribute."

Kobe, Gianna and 7 others passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41. She was only 13.

The family of Ara Zobayan is begging a judge to move Vanessa Bryant's wrongful death case out of L.A. because Kobe Bryant is so popular there, it would be impossible to get a fair trial.

Ara's family spelled it out in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports ... saying the trial would begin with "two strikes" already against him "due to the extreme level of popularity of plaintiff with the jury pool."

As we previously reported, Vanessa sued Zobayan along with Island Express Helicopters saying they should be held financially responsible for the crash that killed Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers.

Now, a family member of the pilot is asking for a change of venue to Orange County, where they think they have a better chance of getting impartial jurors.

Of course, Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers -- and became an icon in the city.

"The notoriety and popularity of the late Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles County is detailed herein and reached a level that left no person in the county unaware of his role in branding Los Angeles as his city," Zobayan's family says in new court docs.

"No other single individual in recent memory, sports figure or otherwise, has been considered by the people to be such a personification of their city of Los Angeles. "

"But with that unprecedented level of acclaim comes a lack of impartiality and objectivity by potential jurors about the merits under the law of the claims asserted in this lawsuit by the Bryant family."

The Zobayan family also notes Kobe and all of the passengers lived in Orange County -- another reason the case should be moved.

Kobe, Gianna and 6 other passengers -- along with Ara Zobayan -- died when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas on January 26.

The L.A. Lakers 14k gold & diamond championship ring that Kobe Bryant gifted to his father just hit the auction block and it's expected to bring in a QUARTER-MIL!!

Here's the deal ... 20 years ago -- following Los Angeles' title-winning '99-'00 season -- Mamba bought 2 additional rings and gifted them to his parents, Pamela and Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.

The rings are IDENTICAL to the bling Kobe, Shaq, and the rest of the Lakers squad received.

We're talking real gold and 40 diamonds on each massive ring.

Goldin Auctions -- who recently sold Pamela's ring for $206k -- is now offering "Jellybean's" ring ... and GA tells us they expect it to sell for over $250,000.

FYI, Pamela and Joe sold the rings -- along with other memorabilia -- back in 2013 for a total of $280,000.

And, get this, there's more awesome Kobe swag for sale:

- Kobe Bryant worn and signed cast from when he broke his wrist during the preseason in 1999. Expected to bring in about $20k.

- A 1996-1997 Topps Chrome Refractors Kobe Bryant rookie card (a very rare card). Expected to go for around $75k.

- A Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant signed basketball. Expected to sell for $20k to $25k.

"Dear Whore ... "

That's how it began -- a disgusting piece of hate mail some racist coward sent to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss -- and now she's calling him out publicly.

"After 60 years as a huge Lakers fan, I now say to hell with the overpaid n***** traitors and the NBA."

"Go to hell and join **** Kobe Bryant."

The letter was signed by a man named Joe.

Jeanie says she thought a lot about what to do with the letter after receiving it on Monday -- but ultimately decided to post it on social media "so that everyone can see the hate is real and living out there."

"This is happening in our world TODAY. It's real and it exists."

Buss also posted a message to Joe ...

"Did sending this letter make you feel better? Really all you did was waste your time, and energy and your postage stamp. (But thank you for including your return home address) Why don’t you look in the mirror and see your ugliness because I refuse to."

Jeanie says she's received similar letters over the years and always thought it was best to just ignore the haters -- "but not anymore."

"On this day, Juneteenth, I ask my white friends to join together, acknowledge the racism that exists in our country and around the world, and pledge to stop ignoring it. We all must do better."

Jeanie's post is already resonating with LeBron James -- who showed his support for Buss on Instagram.

Vanessa Bryant is rallying politicians to get behind the "Kobe and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act" ... a bill outlining safety measures she claims will "save many lives."

The KGBHSA was formally introduced by lawmakers on Thursday -- and would require choppers that carry 6 or more people to contain important safety equipment including a Terrain Awareness and Warning System, a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder.

Vanessa immediately threw her support behind the bill -- saying, "I strongly urge that the United States Congress pass a federal law that would improve the safety of helicopters operating in this country."

"I believe there is a chance that Kobe and Gianna would still be alive today if their helicopter had been equipped with the safety equipment required by this pending federal legislation."

She added, "I believe that these safety measures will save many lives."

"As passengers traveling on aircrafts we assume that proper safety measures are in order to prevent accidents from happening before we fly. It's unfortunate that this is not the case and aircraft companies must do their part to protect lives."

Kobe, Gianna and 7 other people died on January 26 when their helicopters crashed in Calabasas, CA.

As we previously reported, officials believe the pilot might've been disoriented by the thick fog in the area that day.

Vanessa is also pushing for the helicopter industry to "consider renaming the black box to Mamba 8 Box in honor of the 3 young Mamba team players, the 2 Mamba coaches and the 3 Mamba parents onboard, equaling 8."

Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was most likely severely disoriented by fog seconds before slamming into a hillside in January -- that's what federal investigators are now saying.

In new documents released Wednesday ... NTSB officials say they have evidence showing Ara Zobayan thought he was ascending when the chopper was actually going downward.

In the docs, investigators claim moments before the crash ... Zobayan told air traffic control he was "climbing to four thousand," and air traffic control asked him what he intended to do once he got to that altitude.

The NTSB says Zobayan never responded -- he had crashed by that point. Interestingly, according to the docs, the helicopter was actually descending rapidly at the time Zobayan said he was climbing.

Investigators add they believe "the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles" due to the dense fog in the area.

As we previously reported, Zobayan, Bryant and seven others on board hit the the ground at 184 MPH ... instantly killing everybody.

Autopsy results showed Zobayan was NOT high on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and in the new docs, investigators say Zobayan's girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

Vanessa Bryant and surviving family members of other passengers have sued the Zobayan and Island Express, which chartered the helicopter.

Various pilots have said Zobayan should not have been flying at such a high rate of speed in blinding fog.

It should be noted, investigators did NOT reveal an official conclusion on the cause of the crash. A final NTSB report with that information is expected to be released later.

A mural of Kobe Bryant is shining on CA unobscured once again ... TMZ Sports has learned HBO ordered the immediate removal of a billboard covering Mamba art in L.A. on Tuesday.

Our sources tell us shortly after an HBO ad was placed over a piece of artwork dedicated to the Lakers legend this week ... officials at the company called to have it taken down.

We're told HBO was NOT aware the billboard would be placed over the Kobe art ... and once it saw it was concealed, the network realized the look had to go ASAP.

Fortunately, we're told the signage was ripped away in a swift manner ... and the Kobe artwork was NOT damaged in any way.

It's good news for Los Angelenos ... who have taken every precaution necessary to preserve public Kobe tributes since the 41-year-old tragically died in a helicopter crash in January.

Remember, even amid chaos, rioting and looting during protests earlier this month ... not a single Mamba mural was touched.

However, we're told this specific piece -- which is located near the famous Grove shopping center in West Hollywood -- could be obstructed by ads from time to time in the future.

Our sources say the vendor who owns the mural has plans to hang billboards over it eventually -- so long as the Kobe art goes undamaged and can be seen by all after the campaigns end.

L.A. Lakers star Danny Green may have TWO rings in the near future ... 'cause the sharpshooter just got engaged to his longtime GF!!!

The 32-year-old NBAer revealed he popped the question to Blair Bashen on Monday ... getting on one knee at Surfer's Point Beach in Ventura.

FYI -- DG and Blair have been dating for 5 years ... and Green finally decided to make things official on their anniversary.

So ... what took so long?? Get this ...

"Sorry it took so long babe! just wanted to be able to get you the ring you deserved and couldn’t afford it until now 😂 "

Worth noting ... Green has reportedly made more than $67 MILLION during his career so far -- and is currently in the middle of a 2-year $30 mil contract with the Lakers.

So, either he's just teasing, or Blair just got one MASSIVE rock!!!

Green continued ... "love you with all my heart and Im so lucky to have had you by my side these past 5 years ... many more years to come! Here’s to forever!"

Kobe Bryant fans in Europe paid homage to the Mamba in a HUGE way this week ... finishing up a 39-foot-high mural of Bean that's now the biggest on the continent.

Locals in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina began painting the tribute at an elementary school about two weeks ago ... with one of the guys saying it all started because Kobe helped them find a love for hoops.

"Kobe Bryant was one of my role models and when we heard that he tragically lost his life, we came up with the idea to pay tribute to him," a mural initiator told The Srpska Times.

"That is how we made a mural on the wall of the school next to which we spent time on the playground."

The piece is roughly 39 feet tall and 19 feet wide ... and as you can see in the pics, it's pretty amazing.

The image is of Kobe at the free-throw line in his Lakers jersey set to sink a basket ... and it's complete with his Mamba logo in the upper right corner.

The artist who painted the work said it was painstaking, but worth every minute ... and added he hopes it brings similar pieces of art to the country.

As we previously reported ... there have been a TON of Kobe murals in Los Angeles as well -- and they're so beloved, each and every one went untouched amid the chaos in the city last week.

The L.A. County Coroner has just released the autopsy reports on the victims of the crash that took the lives of Kobe and Gigi Bryant, along with 6 other passengers and the pilot.

The documents reveal the obvious for the most part, so we're not going to go into detail. Suffice it to say, the helicopter slammed into a hillside at 184 MPH.

One thing that does stand out ... the autopsy report of the pilot, Ara Zobayan. Toxicology tests were performed and, according to the report, "Toxicological testing did not detect the presence of alcohol or drugs of abuse. Substances tested for include: benzodiazepines, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, opioids, phencyclidine, and amphetamines."